Description
Cannoli Bites are a delightful, bite-sized dessert that features a crisp pie crust filled with a creamy blend of ricotta, mascarpone, and mini chocolate chips. These easy-to-make treats combine classic cannoli flavors with a convenient mini muffin tin presentation, perfect for parties or an elegant snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 premade pie crust
Filling
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese strained
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare crust: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Unroll the premade pie crust onto a lightly floured surface or cutting board. Using a 2 ½ inch round biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or cup, cut out 12 rounds of dough. Place each round into a mini muffin tin and press gently with your fingers to fit the pan forming small cups.
- Bake the crust cups: Bake the mini pie crust cups in the oven for 12 minutes, or until they turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely for about 15 minutes.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the strained ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and mini chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly until the filling is smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Fill the crust cups: Spoon the ricotta filling into the cooled pie crust cups. For an elegant presentation, transfer the filling to a zip-lock bag or piping bag, snip off a corner or use a star tip, and pipe the filling neatly into each cup.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle additional mini chocolate chips over the filled cups and dust lightly with powdered sugar for extra visual appeal. Serve immediately and enjoy your delicious cannoli bites!
Notes
- Strain ricotta cheese in advance to remove excess moisture, ensuring a thicker filling.
- If you don’t have mascarpone cheese, substitute with cream cheese for a similar creamy texture.
- Press the pie crust rounds gently to avoid tearing and ensure they fit snugly in the muffin tin.
- For a more traditional cannoli flavor, consider adding a pinch of cinnamon or orange zest to the filling.
- Make these a few hours ahead, but add chocolate chips and powdered sugar just before serving to keep them fresh.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini bite
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
